


we will be who we are, and they will heal our scars

by writtenndust



Series: Learn Me Right [3]
Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-28
Updated: 2012-08-28
Packaged: 2017-11-13 01:25:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/497888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writtenndust/pseuds/writtenndust
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He’d never seen a group of grown men and one ruthless assassin flock so quickly to an infant before.</p>
            </blockquote>





	we will be who we are, and they will heal our scars

Four o’clock in the morning and the team was scattered around the waiting room in the private maternity ward, each in various states of what could only be described as incredible discomfort. They’d all insisted on staying for the duration of Pepper’s labour, not a single one of them having a clue that it was likely to take as many hours as it had, nor aware that they’d be left to their own devices with only a single cushion between them as evening became night and night became early morn.

Bruce had his arms crossed over his chest, his feet on a coffee-table and his head against a wall. Steve was propped up against his shoulder, likely to regret the position of his neck when he woke; Rhodey sat front and centre with Happy’s head in his lap – and if Tony asked, it never happened – and Natasha and Clint inhabited the lone sofa that was barely big enough for one of them let alone them both. Needless to say, Natasha had a headrest and her legs off the ground, the only cushion in spitting distance and Clint’s dignity wrapped around her to keep her warm.

It was in that state Tony found them when he stuck his head out into the waiting room; eyebrows raised at the scene before him; he whistled to Rhodey who blinked sleep out of his eyes and looked up at the man who had disturbed his awkward slumber. Tony jerked his eyebrow in reference to the rest of the room and Rhodey nodded with a roll of his eyes, understanding the wordless instruction to wake the haphazard Avengers from their various slumbering positions – of which Natasha’s looked the most comfortable and Clint’s the least.

The corner of Tony’s mouth raised at Clint’s stretching display as they all got up, followed by a swift back-hand to the stomach from Natasha and a few smirks and snickers from the still awakening team. Most of which had no idea why they’d been roused until Steve pointed in the direction of Tony’s disembodied head poking out between the double doors.

“Morning kids.” He chuckled. “I swear, if you guys so much as breathe too loudly, I’ll murder you.” He warned and all but Thor’s expressions stayed completely impassive; merely for the fact that he wondered if silence at the birth of a child was a Midgardian custom, as opposed to actually believing Tony capable of such a feat without his suit.

“Is it over?” Rhodey questioned rubbing his eyes and Tony smirked, pulling his head back through the doors and disappearing for a few seconds before reappearing rather dramatically; shoving both doors open with a flourish – one with his free arm and the other with his left leg – and carried a small pink bundle into the room.

“My dear friends and esteemed colleagues, I present to you,” He ignored Natasha’s eye-roll and favoured Bruce’s amused chuckle as they crowded around him. “Miss Persephone Marie Stark. But you can call her Persie. Cue applause.” No one applauded and Tony frowned petulantly, but the muttering and small sighs all around were enough to make him gush with pride. 

He’d never seen a group of grown men and one ruthless assassin flock so quickly to an infant before. Steve was poking at her belly and making baby noises whilst Natasha tried to swat the man’s hand away so that she could tickle Persie’s palms; but she was surprised when her little hand opened wide and wrapped around her finger. It was a strange thing to see, all of them poking at his daughter like she was a marshmallow; but he had to admit, she was damned cute. She had long eyelashes, pink cheeks and the cutest little rose-bud lips. He knew her eyes were blue, because they’d met earlier when the nurse had handed her to him and she’d stolen his soul; plus she had the richest tuft of auburn hair on the top of her head, sticking up like a Mohawk.

“Is that natural?” Happy laughed, pointing at the top of Persie’s head and Tony grinned, rocking her just a little.

“Hundred percent. I gotta admit,” And they could all hear that narcissistic overtone to Tony’s voice; so well versed in Stark’s personality and undeniable self-obsession, as they were. “She’s damn-near perfect.”

“Only nearly?” Rhodey quipped and Tony rolled his eyes at his best friend.

“Okay, fine, she is perfect.” He grinned. “All Pepper’s doing, really.” He stated, looking down at her and a few of them looked up at him for a moment, abandoning the novelty of the new addition for the seconds it took to appreciate a rare moment of Tony Stark flirting with self-deprecation; before his expression returned to one of smug pride. 

“Hey, she’s awake.” Steve declared and they all looked down at her, staring up at them. Her little brow furrowed and Tony chuckled.

“Yeah, sorry sweetheart, they don’t get any prettier.”

“Shut up, Stark.” Natasha glared and Tony smirked.

“Watch the language, Romanoff.” He warned jokingly and Natasha glared. “So who wants a hold then?” They all hesitated, taking a collective step back as they all stared at the squirming bundle in Tony’s arms. “Are you kidding me?” He laughed. “You’ll all play fisticuffs with the God of Mischief but you’re scared of _her_? Well, yeah okay, I’ll buy that seeing as she is Pepper’s kid, but she’s not going to bite you. And she’s brand-new, even if she does bite, no rabies.” 

He could almost understand Thor’s fear, because he himself feared the man might crush her little head if over-excited and unsure of the strength of human infant skulls versus Asgardian biceps. But the others trembling in their custom-issue combat boots, was laughable. She was small, as far as infants went; but she was adorable and he’d be damned if they weren’t all going to swoon over her each in turn.

“Come on, ‘tasha,” Clint shoved Natasha forward. “You’re a girl.” She awkwardly tried to side-step, causing her to stumble into Steve’s chest with a glare in Clint’s direction.

“I think you’re going to regret that one, there, Barton.” Tony laughed but took the advantage of Natasha now being close enough for him to hand over the baby. She twitched as the bundle was placed in her arms and each man could see her shoulders tense and the cold sweat of panic break out on her brow. “You’ll be fine,” Tony assured. “You’re not going to break her.”

“I’m more concerned about dropping her.” She muttered, though she was smiling down at the little face that was fixated on her. 

“Alright, next.” Tony said quickly, taking her comment more to heart than he intended. “Rhodey?”

“Yeah, I’ll have a go.” Rhodey eagerly held his hands out and Natasha, though reluctant to break eye-contact with Persie; was happy to hand over the burden. They all watched as Rhodey rocked her from side to side, muttering incoherent things with an idiotic grin on his face until Tony’s streak of jealousy reared its head and he called “Next!” - Rhodey just laughed and handed Persie on to Steve. They went on like that until everyone had a turn. Happy cooed and earned himself a gurgle in response; when it was Clint’s turn he dashed over to the nearest chair and held his arms out like a little kid who’d been told he could hold the baby as long as he sat down, rested her on his knee and kept his arms really still.

Thor managed to hold her in one hand; Tony thought he was going to have a heart-attack as he watched the man lay her against his chest so that he could still hold his hammer in the other hand; and he was grateful when the behemoth handed her back to him and he could bundle her up in his arms and protect her. He huddled her close, wrapping her little pink blanket tighter around her as she let out a cute little sigh. He had to admit, he was entirely smitten with her and most definitely not too much of a man to admit it.

He really didn’t care that they all watched him as he raised her to meet him so that he could brush her nose with his, whispering little secrets in her ears even though he knew there was no way that she understood. Her eyes were starting to droop and it was almost time to take her back to Pepper, who he knew would be missing her. He couldn’t leave though, without looking up at Bruce with that hopeful look in his eyes.

Bruce smiled awkwardly, waving Tony off but Tony wasn’t having a bar of it. “Just hold her.” He said softly, taking a few measured steps until he was right in front of his friend. The men were nearly nose to nose with Persie between them, squeaking contentedly in her father’s arms. Her large blue eyes had opened again and looked straight at Bruce. The man hesitated, gripping his hands tightly together before him.

“Come on, Tony, I’m not...”

“Just try it.”

“She’s really small and fragile and-” 

“Yeah and you’ll be fine.”

Tony pressed her to Bruce’s chest and the man had no choice but to wrap his arms around her. There was no way Tony was going to let her go if the other man hadn’t taken hold, but it didn’t stop Bruce’s frantic reaction and instinct to wrap his arms around her to stop her from dropping to the ground. Tony grinned triumphantly when Bruce had a good hold of her and he took a step back, looking smug as Bruce’s heart melted under the gaze of little Persie; realizing that his first instinct was to protect her. They stayed like that, the entire room silent as she and Bruce just studied each other.

“See, she doesn’t care.” Tony said quietly and Bruce looked up, meeting his eyes for a moment. No one mentioned the slight glistening to the man’s eyes. “She likes you.”

“Yeah, well she’s as mad as her Dad.”

“Nothing wrong with that.” Tony chuckled, taking her back into his arms and turning toward the doors. “See you all later; I’ve gotta get this little one back to Pepper before she sends nurses after me.”

“I’ll do it.” Tony froze when Bruce spoke, his back to the whole room and everyone in it looking just a little confused. Tony slowly turned, the corner of his mouth tilted up just slightly, but unwilling to smile just yet.

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, like you said,” Bruce swallowed, shoving his hands in his pockets. “She likes me.”

“Yeah.”

“Well then I’ll do it.”

Tony grinned broadly. “Alright then.” He looked around at everyone else. “Guys, we’ll be here for a while, you might as well go and get some sleep.” They all nodded and Tony looked back to Bruce. “You’d better come and break the news to Pepper yourself; come on.”

Bruce followed closely behind, scuffing his feet along the ground like a little boy who’d just been told to go to the principal’s office. The rest of the team watched them disappear through the doors, somewhat confused as to what had just happened.

“What was that about?” Steve asked; Natasha and Clint shrugged in unison and Rhodey pointed his thumb toward the closed doors.

“Tony asked Bruce to be Persie’s god-father.”

“Not you?” Happy frowned in confusion. 

“What is the task of a God-Father?” Thor furrowed his brow.

“Yeah, nah, we talked about it and his reasons were pretty sound. I don’t mind, Bruce is a good guy, and Tony wants to make a point, I guess. And it’s not like Persie doesn’t have all of us.”

“True.” Natasha smiled.

“My father is the God Odin, is that similar?”

Clint looked up at Thor, his face entirely devoid of expression. “No.”

Natasha rolled her eyes, shoving Clint out of the way. She grabbed Thor’s forearm to get his attention before taking a deep breath. “A God-Father is someone chosen by the child’s parents, usually a close relative or friend. Their job is to be a role-model and to be there for the child if anything were to happen to their parents.”

“Oh I see. Doctor Banner is an admirable choice.”

“Stark seems to think so.” Steve nodded.

“I think he’s right.” Natasha agreed.

The End.


End file.
